Young Watauga track

team headed to A&T
By Steve Behr

Watauga track and field coach Randy McDonough reached one of his goals last Saturday by qualifying enough athletes for the state 4-A track and field finals to use a bigger activity bus to get to the site of the meet, North Carolina A&T in Greensboro.

The next goal is for the Pioneers to score points in that meet.

Watauga’s chances of bringing home a team state championship in either the boys or girls meets, which begin with field events Saturday at 10 a.m., are slim. But McDonough has hopes for several athletes to finish in the top eight, some even in the top four.

“We’re probably not going to get a whole lot of points, but we’re hoping to get a few,” McDonough said.

Eight girls will be going to the meet. The 3,200-meter relay team comprised of Kayla Schneider, Kristina Kanagy, Hannah Barbour and Hailey Middlebrook will take to the track first. Barbour will also run the 3,200-meter run.

Tara Trivette will do the high jump, while Taylor Cook and Kristina Tracy will be in the pole vault. Kasey Jones will also run the 100-meter hurdles.

Watauga’s boys’ 3,200-meter relay team of Thomas McDonough, Justin Martin, Daniel Osborne and Ethan Poulos will run after the girls’ team. Osborne also is in the 3,200-meter run.

Watauga also is sending Jordan Pineda to do the shot put and discus, and Ian Boyd to run the 110-meter high hurdles and do the pole vault.

It’s a young team the Pioneers are sending to Greensboro. Middlebrooks and Barbour are freshmen, while Jones is a sophomore. McDonough and Boyd are the only seniors on the boys’ roster.

Randy McDonough knows his team is young and is hopeful Saturday will provide a learning experience for the underclassmen.

“I’ve loved this freshmen class this year,” McDonough said. “I think by their junior year they can score a lot of points. They’re not quite mature enough to score enough in the regional or the state meets, but by the time they’re juniors, they should be strong enough to do that.”

It doesn’t mean that the current Pioneers can’t put some points on the board. Both relay teams have a chance to crack the top four, even though the Watauga girls will have to run in the slow heat, which could lower their overall time.

Cook is a contender for a state championship in the pole vault, and Jones could also contend for a state championship in the hurdles. She finished second in the state indoor meet in the event.

McDonough also likes Barbour’s chances to score some points in her race. He also feels Boyd can place in the pole vault, and Pineda could place high in the discus and shot put.

“If he can throw his best, he can win the discus,” McDonough said. “He’s one of the top three or four in the state. In the discus on any given day, anybody can pull out a great throw.”